Shannon and his wife Zelma accepted the call to Mount Vernon as their first full-time pastorate in 1978.  Prior to coming to Mount Vernon, he served three other pastorates.  Born in West Virginia, Shannon grew up in the town of Zebulon, NC.  God has blessed Shannon and Zelma with two children and eight grandchildren.  Their son, Jarrod, is also a pastor and their daughter, Vanessa, is active in church music.

Shannon has received a B.A. from Campbell University, a M.Div. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Honorary D.Div. from Emmanuel Bible College and Seminary in Kota, India.  As a trustee at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Shannon has served for ten years on the Executive Board.  He has also served on the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina’s Board of Directors.  In addition, he is one of the founding pastors of North Raleigh Christian Academy and is a strong advocate for Christian Education.

His preaching style is Biblical Exposition, with an emphasis on evangelism and missions.  Throughout the year, Shannon preaches at numerous Churches, Seminaries, and Bible Conferences stateside as well as internationally.

Shannon’s Ministry verse is: “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching” – 1 Timothy 5:17

Raleigh native Joshua Blythe grew up at Mount Vernon, was saved as a child, and answered the call to Gospel ministry as a teenager. He is a graduate of Liberty University (B.A. in History and Biblical Studies) and Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (M.A.R. in Biblical Studies and M.Div. in Pastoral Ministry).

Prior to coming back home to serve at Mount Vernon in April 2015, Joshua had the privilege of serving in two pastorates – one in eastern NC and one in western NC. He married his wife Kristen in 2009, and they are privileged to be parents to three children, Emma, Enoch, and Hope.

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”  2 Timothy 4:2

A Raleigh native, Kevin accepted the Lord in 1978. He has served at Mount Vernon as a deacon, Sunday school teacher, brotherhood director and choir member. In 1983, Kevin married Sandra, his church sweetheart. In 1998, Kevin joined the Mount Vernon staff to serve as Minister of Youth.

Kevin and Sandra are the proud parents of two adult sons who both love Christ and are blessed with godly wives that serve the Lord alongside them. In October 2012, the Lord blessed them again with the birth of their granddaughter.

“One of the greatest joys of serving on staff at MVBC is seeing young people come to faith in Jesus Christ, and then seeing them mature into adults that serve Jesus and lead their families as men and women of God!”

Daniel is a lifelong musician, and has led worship in the church since the turn of the century. He came to Mount Vernon in 2015. Daniel minored in music while getting an engineering degree at NC State; during that time he also met his wife at the Baptist Student Center.  He worked for several years in the engineering field, and continued doing so through his studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he completed a Diploma in Church Music and a Master of Divinity in 2008.

“I feel I am exactly where God wants me to be when I lead the congregation in worship through singing. Serving the Lord in a capacity to which He has called me, serving the Church, and using music to glorify God and minister to others brings me great joy.”

Daniel and his wife have three children.

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3:12

Crystal made her home in North Carolina in 1993, moving here from Florida. She has served in Children’s Ministry for more than 20 years. She has been a member of Mount Vernon since 2000. It is here that she met her husband, Jerrold. They are parents to two go-get-em kids, Maggie and Tucker. As a family, they have served and volunteered in many capacities at MVBC. She is thrilled to serve the Lord, our church, the children and their families as Children’s Ministry Director. Her focus in ministry is to help children develop a loving and lasting personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Through Biblical discipleship, she strives to help children see that they are unique and wonderfully made and teach them how to be bold and courageous in their maturing faith. Combining her creativity and passion for fun, she looks forward to engaging the kids in service and growth in the Lord. In her free time, she enjoys sharing coffee and laughs with family and friends.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” Deuteronomy 6:4-7

Raleigh native Daniel Harrison grew up at Mount Vernon and was saved by the Lord at the age of 18. He married his wife Kate in the year 2022. He is currently studying at the College at Southeastern (BS in Pastoral Ministry) with the aim to continue studying at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv in International Church Planting).

Daniel has served the Lord through preaching in churches across North America,  participating in/leading short-term mission trips internationally and in North America, being President of a college Christian ministry, being a Youth leader, Discipleship team member, and other ways. His passion is to “Know God by enjoying God and be used by God to lead others who lead others to do the same, for the Glory of Christ in all nations everywhere”.

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7

Ivan and his wife Bonnie moved to Raleigh in September of 2012 to be near their 2 children and 6 grandchildren. Prior to the move, Ivan was Director of Missions at Rich Fork Baptist Church in Thomasville, NC, for 10 years. In that position, he planned and participated in mission work, not only in the U.S., but also in Honduras, Guatemala, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Romania, Ukraine, Malaysia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. Ivan is a former Elementary School Principal, having retired from that position in June of 2000.

“And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'” – Romans 10:15

Susan and her husband David joined Mt. Vernon in 1990 and have 2 children. A native of Tennessee, Susan’s years of experience in children’s ministry were evidenced as she orchestrated the start-up of our preschool program, known as The Growing Place. On staff since 1993, Susan now serves as Director of The Growing Place.

Joan and her husband Bill are natives of the Roanoke, VA area.  They and their two children moved to Raleigh, NC in 1985 and soon became members of MVBC.  They have two children, Mark and Susan, and six grandchildren.  Joan has been the Church Secretary at MVBC since July 1996.  She enjoys supporting and helping all the staff members of MVBC.

Larry joined our staff part-time as Financial Secretary in 2018. He retired from the state of North Carolina in 2009 after a 38+ year career in accounting/finance, and he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our team. Both he and his wife have been faithful members at MVBC for over 20 years.